Man Shares What He Felt During A Coma And How It Helped Him Say Goodbye To His Mother
If you ever wondered what being in a coma feels like, you are not the only one. A Redditor asked “People who have been in a coma, what was your perception of time while in it?” and one touching answer, in particular, brought tears to the eyes of many people who read it. A user MrEconomics shared his own experience of slipping into a coma, and the only thing he could remember was his mother talking to him while he was unconscious. Sadly, sometime after that, he shared that his mother slipped into a deep sleep as well, however, he found comfort in knowing that she probably could hear him too.
Image credits: SouthernWI(not the actual photo)
Many users reacted by agreeing that people can hear what’s being told to them before they die
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Share on FacebookMy dad had pancreatic cancer and was in hospice. He had been in a coma for two days, and very early on the last morning the nurse called and said to come now. My brother and I sat next to his bedside. I was holding his hand, singing to him, and I put his hand against my heart so he could feel it beat. I told him how much I loved him. That it was ok to go, that Marc (my deceased brother) was waiting for him, his parents were waiting for him. I was talking to him about all the things I remembered about growing up, fond memories. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, seemed fully alert, and gave a huge smile to me and to my brother. I was shocked because for that moment he was fully there. After that beautiful smile, he quietly slipped away. I will remember that smile for the rest of my life.
Thanks. I NEEDED this. My dad passed away on July 2018. I live in a different city than my mom, dad and siblings. So, when my dad got hospitalized, I couldn't be there. I couldn't talk to him, give him a hug and a kiss for one last time when he was conscious. Then, he got transferred to a hospital near my city. And I visited him. But all the time he was sedated and never opened his eyes. I read to him. I told him how grateful I was for everything he did for me. And I was the one next to him, holding his hand during his last minutes. Talking to him. And I hoped he knew I was there, and that he wasn't alone. Now I feel better thinking he might have noticed.
He definitely heard you I am sure of it. You would have been of great comfort
Load More Replies...My uncle was admitted to the hospital and fell into a coma before his daughter could say goodbye. My sister convinced her to stay at the hospital and tell him all the things she would have told him if he'd been awake. She held his hand for hours and talked. Shortly before he died, he patted her hand and whispered, "Okay, Debra"--just like he used to do when she was a little kid.
Like I wasn't already crying enough! Thank you for sharing.
Load More Replies...I was in a 4 week coma state in 2017, sometimes i was "awake" but saw things that werent there i.e. my bedroom door etc, other times i was fully in lala land. when all the nurses were talking about the anniversary of dianas death i thought i was in an old hospital from 1997 and had time travelled (people had keepers and old fashioned cellphones etc), and that Diana's funeral procession was happening later that day. It's a scary confusing time, but what you say around a comatose person has a huge impact on what they experience. Most of my hallucinations were about going home to mum (although I'm grown now with my own kid) and that was because she and dad came to see me and talk to me at least once a day.
A friend of mine lost her father one New Years Eve. She broke all land speed records when she got the news that he'd had a massive heart attack and had slipped into a coma. When she got to the hospital, her mom was sitting over her dad's bed saying "Don't leave me!" As soon as her mother left the room, she turned to her father and said "Dad..I love you. But if you need to go..go. I will take care of mom." She said 20 minutes later..he slipped away.
his last wish, was probably for the rest of his family to be alive and well...
Load More Replies...My mum also passed after a 6-year battle with cancer. I've always heard that hearing is the last sense to go, so I talked to her when she entered into the deep sleep which we knew she wouldn't wake up from. I almost didn't leave her bedside for 2 days, and her heart stopped beating when I momentarily went down to grab some breakfast. My aunt called and we headed back to her bed, where I said my final goodbyes. I like to believe that she heard everything I said when she was lying there. Losing a parent is never easy, especially one that you're close to. It's been 8 years and I don't think the gaping hole in my heart will ever be filled.
I have read many instances of loved ones waiting for a moment alone to slip away. It is in no way a reflection on your care of her, she just didn't want to subject you to that and was trying to be thoughtful. I am so sorry for your loss and I understand how important it was for you to be there when she passed, and I am sorry you weren't able to be but know that it must have been her last wish to save you from that.
Load More Replies...Our chorus sang at a members bedside as she was dying (breast cancer). She was not really conscious, but became agitated when we stopped singing and calm when we continued. The other patients nearby appreciated it as well.
she must have know you were singing, she must have been happy,
Load More Replies...When my father slipped into a coma after a heart attack (he had been quadriplegic for 10 years, and he had health issues ), I was away on a business trip. My mom kept telling me to call him to talk to him, that he was waiting for me to go. I was highly skeptical of this, since he was brain dead, but I did call to humor her just before boarding the plane to go home. I told him he could go, that I didn't want to see him again, that my last memory of him would be playing scrabble a few days before and that was ok, that he shouldn't worry, etc. ... He died 5 minutes after my call. I'll never know if he heard me...
being brain dead is an irriversible loss of brain function, maybe, his consiousness, (he) heard before it/he left his body
Load More Replies...I have always wondered about this, and suspected that the brain could go on for some minutes after the last heartbeat. That's what allows CPR to work, after all. I was fortunate enough to be able to be there for both my parents when they each passed of old age. Neither was conscious when I arrived, but I talked to each about how much I loved them, how fortunate I was to have them as parents, and that it was okay to go, that they would be sorely missed, but they had much better things to go on to. I was sure to go on for at least ten minutes after their final breath. I was not going to let the last thing they heard on earth be the words "He/she's gone." Now I feel more certain that they heard me. Thank you for this.
(sorry for sounding cruel but you can't die of old age) 1, yes your brain has around an hour of life after the heart stops (but with reduced brain function due to lack of oxygen) 2, when the heart stops the brain is still sending signals but these signals may weaken as cells die (also due to lack of oxygen, water and nutrients) but CPR may keep the cells alive and restart the heart beating 3, they heard you, they must have, and now consiousness slipped their bodys they have ascended (in a way like a ghost) and will watch on this world, on you.
Load More Replies...I have never been witness to a loved one's death, and I hope and pray that I am as strong as the poster And all the commenters when it comes for my parents. No animal of mine has died alone in a decade, I just hope those experiences have prepared me in some way, because honestly, my first instinct is to hide and deny.
I used to feel the same way Nikki D, and can remember saying I could not fathom losing either of my parents or my dog to a counselor I seeing at the time. At that point in my life I definately was right. But time and God have a way of preparing us for this inevitable event that at some point we all must face. I lost my dog about a year later, which was by far the most heart wrenching experience I have ever been through having never experienced death at that point. Then, in time, I got through it, tried, unsuccessfully to get another dog, not being able to bond again. Then, in 2018, I lost my brother in January, Mom in June and Dad in August. It has been terribly difficult, but I am getting through it. My own health has diminished since losing them and now I need to take action to turn that around hopefully. You will be ready when the time comes and out of nowhere, you will find the courage to face it....
Load More Replies...When i was in a coma (right before an organ transplant) a tropical storm tore through town. I could hear the storm outside. My family was there tracking the storm on the news and I knew what was going on. I was dreaming i was on a beach during a storm but not scared bc none of the eain or wind was affecting me. Jsug everything around me.
My best friend called me late one November to tell me that her father was in his final hours of life. He, too, had fallen asleep for the last time. She held the phone to his ear while I sang Stille Nacht in German (Silent Night, as it was originally written). Her father became more relaxed and less stressed as I sang. Later, others have asked me if he understood German. It doesn't matter, I say, because he knew the tune dearly, having heard it all his life, and he felt the love and compassion in my voice.
My dad had pancreatic cancer and was in hospice. He had been in a coma for two days, and very early on the last morning the nurse called and said to come now. My brother and I sat next to his bedside. I was holding his hand, singing to him, and I put his hand against my heart so he could feel it beat. I told him how much I loved him. That it was ok to go, that Marc (my deceased brother) was waiting for him, his parents were waiting for him. I was talking to him about all the things I remembered about growing up, fond memories. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, seemed fully alert, and gave a huge smile to me and to my brother. I was shocked because for that moment he was fully there. After that beautiful smile, he quietly slipped away. I will remember that smile for the rest of my life.
Thanks. I NEEDED this. My dad passed away on July 2018. I live in a different city than my mom, dad and siblings. So, when my dad got hospitalized, I couldn't be there. I couldn't talk to him, give him a hug and a kiss for one last time when he was conscious. Then, he got transferred to a hospital near my city. And I visited him. But all the time he was sedated and never opened his eyes. I read to him. I told him how grateful I was for everything he did for me. And I was the one next to him, holding his hand during his last minutes. Talking to him. And I hoped he knew I was there, and that he wasn't alone. Now I feel better thinking he might have noticed.
He definitely heard you I am sure of it. You would have been of great comfort
Load More Replies...My uncle was admitted to the hospital and fell into a coma before his daughter could say goodbye. My sister convinced her to stay at the hospital and tell him all the things she would have told him if he'd been awake. She held his hand for hours and talked. Shortly before he died, he patted her hand and whispered, "Okay, Debra"--just like he used to do when she was a little kid.
Like I wasn't already crying enough! Thank you for sharing.
Load More Replies...I was in a 4 week coma state in 2017, sometimes i was "awake" but saw things that werent there i.e. my bedroom door etc, other times i was fully in lala land. when all the nurses were talking about the anniversary of dianas death i thought i was in an old hospital from 1997 and had time travelled (people had keepers and old fashioned cellphones etc), and that Diana's funeral procession was happening later that day. It's a scary confusing time, but what you say around a comatose person has a huge impact on what they experience. Most of my hallucinations were about going home to mum (although I'm grown now with my own kid) and that was because she and dad came to see me and talk to me at least once a day.
A friend of mine lost her father one New Years Eve. She broke all land speed records when she got the news that he'd had a massive heart attack and had slipped into a coma. When she got to the hospital, her mom was sitting over her dad's bed saying "Don't leave me!" As soon as her mother left the room, she turned to her father and said "Dad..I love you. But if you need to go..go. I will take care of mom." She said 20 minutes later..he slipped away.
his last wish, was probably for the rest of his family to be alive and well...
Load More Replies...My mum also passed after a 6-year battle with cancer. I've always heard that hearing is the last sense to go, so I talked to her when she entered into the deep sleep which we knew she wouldn't wake up from. I almost didn't leave her bedside for 2 days, and her heart stopped beating when I momentarily went down to grab some breakfast. My aunt called and we headed back to her bed, where I said my final goodbyes. I like to believe that she heard everything I said when she was lying there. Losing a parent is never easy, especially one that you're close to. It's been 8 years and I don't think the gaping hole in my heart will ever be filled.
I have read many instances of loved ones waiting for a moment alone to slip away. It is in no way a reflection on your care of her, she just didn't want to subject you to that and was trying to be thoughtful. I am so sorry for your loss and I understand how important it was for you to be there when she passed, and I am sorry you weren't able to be but know that it must have been her last wish to save you from that.
Load More Replies...Our chorus sang at a members bedside as she was dying (breast cancer). She was not really conscious, but became agitated when we stopped singing and calm when we continued. The other patients nearby appreciated it as well.
she must have know you were singing, she must have been happy,
Load More Replies...When my father slipped into a coma after a heart attack (he had been quadriplegic for 10 years, and he had health issues ), I was away on a business trip. My mom kept telling me to call him to talk to him, that he was waiting for me to go. I was highly skeptical of this, since he was brain dead, but I did call to humor her just before boarding the plane to go home. I told him he could go, that I didn't want to see him again, that my last memory of him would be playing scrabble a few days before and that was ok, that he shouldn't worry, etc. ... He died 5 minutes after my call. I'll never know if he heard me...
being brain dead is an irriversible loss of brain function, maybe, his consiousness, (he) heard before it/he left his body
Load More Replies...I have always wondered about this, and suspected that the brain could go on for some minutes after the last heartbeat. That's what allows CPR to work, after all. I was fortunate enough to be able to be there for both my parents when they each passed of old age. Neither was conscious when I arrived, but I talked to each about how much I loved them, how fortunate I was to have them as parents, and that it was okay to go, that they would be sorely missed, but they had much better things to go on to. I was sure to go on for at least ten minutes after their final breath. I was not going to let the last thing they heard on earth be the words "He/she's gone." Now I feel more certain that they heard me. Thank you for this.
(sorry for sounding cruel but you can't die of old age) 1, yes your brain has around an hour of life after the heart stops (but with reduced brain function due to lack of oxygen) 2, when the heart stops the brain is still sending signals but these signals may weaken as cells die (also due to lack of oxygen, water and nutrients) but CPR may keep the cells alive and restart the heart beating 3, they heard you, they must have, and now consiousness slipped their bodys they have ascended (in a way like a ghost) and will watch on this world, on you.
Load More Replies...I have never been witness to a loved one's death, and I hope and pray that I am as strong as the poster And all the commenters when it comes for my parents. No animal of mine has died alone in a decade, I just hope those experiences have prepared me in some way, because honestly, my first instinct is to hide and deny.
I used to feel the same way Nikki D, and can remember saying I could not fathom losing either of my parents or my dog to a counselor I seeing at the time. At that point in my life I definately was right. But time and God have a way of preparing us for this inevitable event that at some point we all must face. I lost my dog about a year later, which was by far the most heart wrenching experience I have ever been through having never experienced death at that point. Then, in time, I got through it, tried, unsuccessfully to get another dog, not being able to bond again. Then, in 2018, I lost my brother in January, Mom in June and Dad in August. It has been terribly difficult, but I am getting through it. My own health has diminished since losing them and now I need to take action to turn that around hopefully. You will be ready when the time comes and out of nowhere, you will find the courage to face it....
Load More Replies...When i was in a coma (right before an organ transplant) a tropical storm tore through town. I could hear the storm outside. My family was there tracking the storm on the news and I knew what was going on. I was dreaming i was on a beach during a storm but not scared bc none of the eain or wind was affecting me. Jsug everything around me.
My best friend called me late one November to tell me that her father was in his final hours of life. He, too, had fallen asleep for the last time. She held the phone to his ear while I sang Stille Nacht in German (Silent Night, as it was originally written). Her father became more relaxed and less stressed as I sang. Later, others have asked me if he understood German. It doesn't matter, I say, because he knew the tune dearly, having heard it all his life, and he felt the love and compassion in my voice.
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